Mission Possible

Inspiring stories of success

NextUp speaker series welcomes best and brightest from the world of business

The School of Business NextUp Speaker Series is your chance to hear from some of the biggest names in Alberta’s business landscape. Allard Chair Nicole Bourque-Boucher and Edmonton Eskimos president and CEO Len Rhodes are just two of the names on this year’s roster. But throughout the terms, students also get to listen to and ask questions of up-and-comers, including successful Mission Possible startups.

Student Hire founders Richard Clark, Adam Prince and Riley Steed (pictured above) were the inaugural speakers for the 2016/17 NextUp season, and they admit that getting into business with peers and friends isn’t without problems.

“When you first start a startup, it’s kind of like the beginning of a relationship,” says Adam, a Bachelor of Science student. “You think, ‘We would never fight. You guys are great. What could we ever possibly disagree about?’ But sure enough, things come up and there have definitely been some disputes, but we always take a step back and try to understand each other’s perspectives.”

So far, so good. Student Hire, a job site where students can pick up odd jobs as needed, came from co-founder Richard Clark’s experience trying to find employment.

The first-year Bachelor of Commerce student says they wanted their Mission Possible project to go beyond their Business 201 course and Mission Possible. “Our business solves a problem—that’s what separated us from a lot of groups. People go out there just creating something to make money, and we were out there trying to create something to solve a problem.”

“Our slogan is ‘real work for real money,’” explains Riley, Bachelor of Science student. “Students can pick up work whenever it fits their schedule. This is like the most practical way for a student to make money.”

“Student debt is a real issue, and we wanted to help students,” says Richard. “When we first presented and pitched our ideas in class, we had over 250 students sign up in a couple of weeks.” They are working on a website and have plans to continue their business.

“We would love to see a student be able to pay their tuition because of Student Hire. That would be the coolest feeling for us.”

Hear more inspiring stories of success. Don’t miss these upcoming speakers, and be sure to visit MacEwan.ca/NextUp:

Check out the full list of October speaker series:

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